I bet there are threads out there that I could look through & pick out things but I'm looking for a "just the facts" kind of approach. I recently brewed my first all grain and getting ready to bottle this weekend. I already have and have read How to Brew as well as the latest edition of The Complete Joy of Homebrewing. I also have The Brewmaster's Table. There are several recipes in those books but not necessarily a ton of AG. I also have another book, Homebrew Favorites by Lutzen & Stevens. There's some useful recipes in there too. But not a ton & I can work w/ some of those but some I can't. I'm hoping I can just get a list of books that have some AG recipies in them. Pros & Cons are very welcome. *One VERY important note, I just got divorced last week & my $$$$ situation prohibits me from buying a software program right now. But if you'd like to throw your 2 cents in on what you use & recommend I'd like to hear that too. Thanks in advance everybody!
Brewing Classic Styles has an all grain version for all recipes. Brewing Better Beer is all grain all the time.
I mostly get recipe ideas online, so I have no book recommendations. For software I suggest beercalculus, http://beercalculus.hopville.com, for a web option. Also free, I suggest Brewtarget if you want something local (http://brewtarget.sourceforge.net/). If you like, you can export a recipe from beercalculus in XML and import it into brewtarget.
If you're looking to create your own recipes, "Designing Great Beers" is good. The first half is learning to create the recipe and the second half is expamples and history of each style (except he doesn't cover Belgian beer).
I've been recommending "Radical Brewing" ever since I bought. I have "Homebrew Favorites" as well, but there is a lot more info on ingredients, which helps formulate your own recipes, and better (possible more) all-grain recipes in "RB."
There are countless recipes (and discussions of them) online. Since you apparently have online access, and money is short, I see no reason to buy a book. I'm sure others can provide links to sites that are even more useful than this one, but here's one place I often go to look over a few recipes before making up my own: http://www.byo.com/stories/recipeindex Also, Jamil Z's on the brewing network has a lot of interesting discussions of various clone recipes: http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Jamil-Show
Read Zymurgy. Every year, there is an issue in which all the winning recipes from the NHC are published. This plus the various articles you get every issue constitutes a treasure trove of recipes for BJCP styles, historical styles, and of-the-wall, out-of-style styles.
To the OP, since you said you are broke, those NHC winners recipes are on the homebrewers association website too. It is a great resource.
Not that this is really funny... but maybe just slightly amusing? that a week after divorcing the OP is looking for advice on homebrew books. homebrewing because of the divorce, or divorce because of the homebrewing? (just a rhetorical question...!) Hays, best of luck to you, and cheers!
I think Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew is pretty good. The recipes are for extract by default but each one of them has allgrain alternative. As for software - you can check www.brewers-assistant.com - it's a free web app for managing recipes, etc, , so nothing to buy and nothing to install.
If cash is tight, listen to the free podcasts at www.thebrewingnetwork.com The Jamil show has every recipie in his book "Brewing Classic Styles" plus their cloning attemps. Brew Strong, is Jon Palmer's "How to Brew" etc... There is so much good info there it'll keep you busy for months and won't cost you a nickel.
